"It really does fit in with the Homeland Security initiative," said Brian Lantz, MapInfo vice president of business and sales development, and head of the company's Homeland Security Initiative.

Last month, the software manufacturer released a Homeland Security Program designed to help government agencies use location intelligence "to protect the nation's people and assets."

Lantz, who worked for the Secret Service before joining MapInfo, said the company's product is aimed at helping government agencies communicate with each other and could be used to track terrorists.

MapInfo products are already being used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for disaster and recovery efforts and to determine where to place emergency personnel in times of disaster. The New York City Police Department recently picked MapInfo for its next-generation agency-wide crime analysis system that will allow all city agencies to analyze crime patterns. And the U.S. Border Patrol uses MapInfo technology to monitor and security borders.

MapInfo will promote homeland security in a multi-city tour, along with executives from such companies as Oracle and Veritas.

"Federal, state and local governments have been deploying MapInfo solutions for the past 15 years," said Lantz. "Now, with the nation's heightened awareness surrounding safety, an increasing number of organizations are realizing the crucial role of location intelligence in homeland security."